Rec-Well team members bring home prestigious awards

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Tuesday, Nov 21, 2017

Rec-Well team members bring home prestigious awards

Director of University Recreation & Well-Being Greg Jordan stands in between his department's award-winning staff members Bill Singleton and Marie VanBuskirk. Both earned prestigious awards at this year's 2017 Michigan Intramural Recreational Sports Association state conference in East Lansing.

Singleton was presented with the Dr. Michael J. Stevenson Outstanding Service Award. This award is presented annually to a MIRSA member who demonstrates outstanding service and has made a significant contribution to the MIRSA and to recreational sports in the state of Michigan during the past year. The award is named in honor of Dr. Michael J. Stevenson, long time Director of Recreational Sports at the University of Michigan, for exemplifying outstanding service to the field of recreational sports during his career.

Singleton demonstrated outstanding leadership and service as a member of the Finance Committee, making significant progress in the MIRSA budget process. He also served as co-host of the state conference held at Oakland University in October 2015 and is the new State Director Elect. Singleton has also served on the National Conference Program Committee for two years.

VanBuskirk was named the recipient of the Dr. Tom R. Jones Outstanding Member Award. This award is presented annually to the MIRSA member who demonstrates outstanding leadership and service in the MIRSA and to recreational sports in the state of Michigan. The award is named in honor of Dr. Tom R. Jones, long time Director of Campus Recreation at Central Michigan University, for his contributions and service to the field of recreational sports during his career.

VanBuskirk has been an active member of MIRSA since her arrival at Oakland in 2003. She has served on countless committee and work teams. She has served the Executive Committee as Secretary, chaired the Member Engagement Committee, presented at several state conferences and has been a stabilizing force in the success of the organization. She is just the fifth MIRSA professional member to receive both the Jones and Stevenson Award. She was also awarded the Outstanding Alumnus in Recreational Sports award from Central Michigan University in 2016.

Oakland University has a strong history of recreation service and leadership in state of Michigan for MIRSA and in recreational organizations with NIRSA nationally.

“RecWell” as the department is commonly called on campus, is a department within the Division of Student Affairs. The department’s vision is to be a leader in providing excellent and comprehensive experiences that promote student success and community well-being. The department’s mission is to offer programs, services and facilities that create a connection to Oakland University, encourage life balance, and foster student development.